Three Mexico City borough presidencies still in doubt

Posted onSeptember 14, 2009|Comments Off on Three Mexico City borough presidencies still in doubt

All three of the 16 Mexico City borough presidency elections not won by the PRD continue to generate controversy. The Electoral Tribunal for the Federal District (TEDF) ruled that panistaCarlos Orvañanos, the winner in Cuajimalpa, exceeded spending limits. If the ruling stands on appeal, there will be a new election in Cuajimalpa and neither Orvañanos nor the PAN will be allowed to compete. The TEDF made a similar ruling in the election of panistaDemetrio Sodi in Miguel Hidalgo, based largely on a TV interview that Sodi gave during the halftime of a soccer game in May. However, the Federal Electoral Tribunal, which is the final authority, just ruled that the interview was a permissible exercise of freedom of speech, even if it was electoral propaganda. This probably clears the way for Sodi, one of the highest profile panistas, to take office. Meanwhile, Rafael Acosta, aka ‘Juanito,’ continues to infuriate his former PRD and PT colleagues by dancing around the question of whether he will take office as head of Iztapalapa, or resign in favor of the preferred PRD standard bearer, Clara Brugada. (Universal 9/4, Reforma 9/7)